Misused and Overly Exaggerated Words
Next time you read a body of text, pay closer attention to what’s actually being said. More than likely, you’ll notice some terms and expressions that are used in ways that don’t quite fit when you...
Translation #Fails
Contrary to popular belief, speaking two languages doesn’t make you a translator. Sure, you could get the main point across and in doing so get what you want. But that logic doesn’t apply to written...
Some Kick-Ass Ads in Just a Few Words
Advertising boils down to communication. And communication is all about getting the message heard. When we strip it down to its most basic form, all you really need are a few words to make that happen....
US vs. Canadian Spelling: Why is There a Difference?
Favorite vs. favourite. Color vs. colour. Neighborhood vs. neighbourhood. We’re speaking the same language. Yet until certain words come up, you wouldn’t know which side of the pond they were written...
Rules & Exceptions: Who to Listen to
We’ve made it clear on multiple occasions that the English language is full of rules with little logic and lots of exceptions. Isn’t that a lovely combination? There are so many experts out there whose...
The Difference One Missed Letter Makes
You’d think that when you accidentally miss a letter whilst typing really quickly that the intent of the writing doesn’t get lost. Sometimes the words are still correct, so autocorrect or spellcheck...
Shame on you, Oxford Dictionary.
The Oxford Dictionary named the “tears of joy” emoji as their word of the year. As the world’s authority on language, you’ve set verbal discourse back years, decades, dare we say...
Editors’ Most Hated Mistakes – Part 2
As promised, we’ve compiled a new crop of editing nightmares for those who share the frustration. These cringe-inducing habits are the literary equivalent of socks and sandals. Seeing them can render...
Writing for Work vs. Writing for Pleasure
Writing is writing is writing. Right? Wrong. In so many ways, all the types of pen to ink find their differences. In this instance, we’re talking about the actual writing process. The following is a...
Not Everyone is an Editor
What? You mean to say that my friend who taught fifth-grade English once isn’t qualified to edit my entrance essay to an Ivy League school? Right. And neither is your friend who taught ESL abroad for...
How to Find Your Perfect Writer (in 3 Easy Steps)
Business owners have very particular ideas about how they want things to sound. As they should. It’s their business, their baby. They want everything about it to be perfect. But not all of us have a...
Editors’ Most Hated Mistakes – Part 1
If you’ve edited anything for an extended period of time, you’ll understand how infuriating the tiniest mistakes can be. You’ll also know that intense feeling of wanting to flip a table, punch a...